Box-nailing machine



(No Model.)

' P. W. EDWARDS.

B0X NAILING MACHINE. A

No. 342,788. Patented June l, 1886.-

lllll ll 'EE i E s fr Hlllllllm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK lV. EDVARDS, OF THURLOV, PENNSYLVANIA. I

BOX-NAILING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 342,788, dated June 1, 1886.

. Application tiled January 5, 1385. Serial No. ifi-2,027. (No modi-l.) i

ments in automatic clamps forvholding the boards in position during the nailing operation, all of which is fully set forth in the-following specification, and shownin the aecompanying drawings, which form part thereof.

The object of my invention is to so construct the machine that it shall automatically clamp or hold the board, and thus insure the action of the clamp being more positive both as rcgards its time of action and power exerted, and at the same time overcoming any neces- `sity of the operatordevoting particular attention thereto. The same mechanism which forces the nails into the wood preferably actuates a cam, which in turn aetuates the clamp` so as 'to make it hold the end board (to` which the side boards are to be nailed) rmly just before the nails reach such boards.

I am aware that prior to my invention nailing-machines have been made with automatic clamps;` but in such eases the clamp has been secured to a vertically-reciprocatin g table, npon which the boards to be nailed are placed, and which, when forced upward by a footpedal, causes the clamp to hold the boards in position for nailing, and when this action has taken place the nailing operation proper comes into play, the clan'xping action being one of foot-power alone. In myinvention the clamp is supported upon a fixed pivot, and does not move vertically, and is automatically and positively clamped through the action of the nailing mechanism proper, the depression of the plun gers and their frame causing the elalnpin g effect.

Considerable advantage is had in making the clamping device automatic with the naildriving mechanism, for in this case the operator is free to move, and is not required to press heavily upon a pedal to keep the boards in position.

In the drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of a box-nailing machine embodying` my improvements. Fig.2 isa front elevation ofthe central portion oli' same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the clamp propel'.

Ihe box-nailing machine illustrated is that cfa-well-k nown consi-ruetion,and is onlyshown utes the nails to the tubes H, by which they are fed one at a time to the receivers F and driven into the boards by means of plungers G, which are actuated by a cross-head, G, receiving its reciprocations-'from crank K and crank L, which latter is operated by a rod, M, and a crank, N, secured to the driving-shaft, upon which the driving-pulley O is loosely supported.

I is a clutch, which may be operated by footlcver Q, and is adapted to connect or disconnect the band-wheel O with the crank-shaft upon which the crank N is secured.

The frame A is provided with a vertical guide-plate, A', arranged at right angles to the table E, and against which the latter is adjusted vertically.

B is my improved automatic clamp, and is pivoted at B to the plate A or part of the frame A', forming a lever, one end of which is provided with extended surface B, and the other end of which is provided with a loose anti-friction wheel, I.

Secured in line with the anti-friction wheel I and to the frame A is a guide-wheel, D, and toward which the end of the clamp-lever and its wheel I is drawn by a spring, J. Vorking between the said wheels I and D is a vertical reciprocating cam-plate C, which is secured to the cross-head G or to any other reciprocating portion of the machine by which it may receive a properly-timed movement. Vhen the plungers G are raised, one of the end boards of the box is thrust in back of the clamplever B and a side board placed upon the end thereof, as indicated in dotted lines in Fio. 1, and upon pressing the foot-lever Q, the

IOO

nailngmachine is set into action, and as the plungers G are forced down the cam C is thrust between the rollers D and I, instantly clamping the end board by causing the lever B to be oscillated, and after the nails have been driven home, and as the plungers G rise, the nailed portions of the boX are automatically freed, for as the cam C is raised the spring J comes into action, removing the pressure of the clamp from the board. From this it is seen that the operator is in nowise required to watch or manipulate the clamp proper, for its action is controlled and governed automatically by the ordinary running or operation of the box-nailing machine itself, and the power of the clamp can be made as great as desired without increasing the labor of the operator; hence a far more perfect and uniform action is not only attained, but it is accomplished in a simpler and more effective manner, and that, too, with a reduction of labor on the part of the operator. It will be observed that the cam C being movable and not fixed is therefore always operative for different sizes of boxboards. This would not be the case if the cam were fixed.

If desired, the cam C may be made with an adjustable or removable surface, C', which may be made greater or less for different thicknesses of box ends; or, if desired, the roller I may be removed and a larger or smaller one placed upon its journal; or the fulcru n1 B' may be made adjustable, if so desired.

Instead of the roller D, a fiat guide may be used, and, if found more desirable, in some machines the reciprocating cam C may be changed to a rotating one, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l and marked G`. Therefore, while I prefer the construction shown, I do not limit myself to the details thereof, as they may be modified in various ways without departing from my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In aboX-nailing machine, a reciprocating nail-driving frame, in combination with the pivoted clamp, a cam to actuate said clamp, the said cam being actuated by said nail-driving frame or one of its connecting parts, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, in a nailing-machine.,`

of the frame A of the machine, having the rigid face-plate A, with the adjustable table E, the pivoted clamp B, hinged to the immovable frame face-plate A', and having a roller, I, the nail-driving frame G, the cam C, spring J, and roller D, the cam C being secured to and operated by the frame G, whereby the position of the clamp remains constant and is actuated automatically by the naildriving frame, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination, in a nailing-machine, of the frame A ofthe machine having the rigid face-plate A with theadjustable table E, the pivoted clamp B, hinged to the immovable frame face-plate A, and having a roller, I, the nail-driving frame G, the cam C, having a removable hardened wearing part, C', as shown, spring J, and roller D, the cam C being secured to and operated by the frame G, substantially as, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

. FRANK W. EDWARDS.

Xilitiiesses:

R. M. HUNTER, ANDREW ZANE, Jr. 

